Wilder Talks Defensive Priority

New manager Chris Wilder has said his transfer priority for Sheffield United this summer will be the centre half position.

Having already signed Mark Duffy and Chris Hussey earlier this week, speculation sees the club linked with a number of other players – such as Blackburn’s Chris Taylor – but speaking to the Sheffield Telegraph the gaffer revealed that centre half was his priority with David Edgar, Jay McEveley and Alex Baptiste all moving on this summer with the released list and cull as he reshapes the side for promotion.

‘Centre-half is a massive priority. We need players who, first of all, want to defend. We need players who want to get up the pitch as well if we want to press. It is important we have energy and athleticism in the two centre halves as well as being good defenders. We are working hard on that. We want to be competitive all over the pitch. It knows it sounds repetitive, but this is a physical game and we have to be physical in what we do as well as playing effective football in the right areas.’

With two new centre halves hoped for before the players return for pre season training later this month after their summer holidays, Wilder also said for coverage and depth purposes if he can stretch that to three with finances, he’ll do just that.

‘We want people to compete, it`s a physical sport. I expect everyone to compete and don`t expect players to pull out of challenges, whether they are Billy Sharp and Scougall at 5ft.8 or 6ft.4 defenders. It`s a man`s sport and they have to put their bodies on the line.’

Adding.

‘I won`t talk about the past. I will talk about where we are and we haven`t got a senior centre half in the football club at the moment. We have a young kid who will potentially be a ‘player` for us from the academy in Callum Semple, but he`s possibly six months away. We need tough defenders who are going to stick their heads on the line and do what they need to do to keep the ball out of the net.’

With finances being referenced, the same outlet have a secondary interview where he talks about financial mercenaries, and how he feels most of the players he’s been ‘offered’ so far this summer wouldn’t fit in with the ethos he wants in the group in the coming season – and people are still expecting too much to make deals happen.

‘We are getting players chucked at us who we can`t get over the line as they are asking for too much money. It has to fit in with the financial aspect of it but we are working hard, whether its season long loans or permanent deals. In an ideal world, I`d like permanents.’

With a huge shake up to the playing squad and his hopes of still seeing a few move on to create space and money, he went on to say.

‘We will look and explore and ideally we`d like everyone back in the building before the 23rd when we start pre-season training. But there might be a couple who are slow-burners. Centre half position is one we definitely need to change pretty quickly.’